Our trip to New Zealand is finally here! For those of you who don't know, my oldest brother is getting married next weekend in NZ and we are headed over there to spend some time with them before the big day!

For those of you who also don't know, New Zealand is literally on the other side of the planet. Not even joking, we googled it and you could only get one hour further away to be on the complete opposite side. This means that we have a long flight ahead of us, the flight from Houston is about 15 hours. I was really worried about this flight until I talked to a couple of people who helped me to put together this list of Travel Essentials For Long Flights.

My biggest questions for this were: How do I entertain myself for that long? What are the best travel pillows? What if I can't sleep? What types of products do I need to keep hydrated? What are the best compression socks? What about if I don't want to take all of my hair products, what are the best travel sized hair dryers?

Well, I took the liberty of testing out a ton of different products to get you the best of the best! I will keep this updated if there is anything else I want to add when we land in NZ!

Savannah Zippered Tote- First and most important aspect of your best vacation ever. I have a different version of this bag, but this exact one has a zip that keeps all of your belongings together while traveling. I love that this bag has a zip because if your bag gets knocked over on the plane or while you are out & about traveling, your personal items don't fall out! The best part about this bag: you can get it monogrammed! *Cue the heart eyes*

Laptop Case- Whether you are traveling around the world or headed to a coffee shop to get some work done, one thing that is always with you is your laptop. Most of the time, your laptop is one of the more expensive items that you have will you, so why wouldn't you take the time to invest in a good laptop case that will protect your prized possession as well as look cute? This laptop case here is my absolute favorite because you can get it monogrammed like I did and it has a thick covering to keep my computer safe and sound

Keds- When I think of these shoes, I think of how my grandmother used to wear them/still does. However, thankfully, these comfortable, perfect for traveling shoes are back in style for us and I am obsessed with them! I had one pair before that I wore so much while traveling and walking around London that they got worn out after a few years, so I now have a second pair that will be making the big trip with me across the world. Keep an eye out for the pictures I post because you'll be seeing a lot of these!

Jewelry Case- One of the key items you need while traveling: a good jewelry case. I found this one linked above on Amazon for a great price. I love this one because it holds everything I pack and has a puff pillow for your rings/bracelets!

Travel Foot Rest Pillow- I found this one on amazon as well and have only heard great things about it! This is an inflatable "pillow" that is a rectangular shape, giving you many different uses! I have a lot of back/hip/knee problems, so being able to blow this up and stick it under my feet/knees (if I'm lucky enough to lay down) will help to take the pressure off of my back and keep my comfy for the long flight!

Hydrating Face Mask- Probably one of the most important things I have packed. I didn't know this, but you can take face masks/tea bags on planes. WHO KNEW?! Not me, until now. I have been on many long flights, however, my skin always gets soooo dry, until now! The facemarks I have linked are some of my absolute favorite and they are an incredible price!

Trtl Pillow- This is going to be a game changer for me. I have never found a good travel pillow that would keep my neck from getting a crick. This was one that several of you have recommended so I decided to give it a try and have even given it a test run! Yes, I tried it out at my house one night and I am so happy to finally have a pillow I can trust to keep me comfortable!

Compression Socks- If you follow me on instagram, you have seen me asking about good compression socks. Because of my back problems, my legs fall asleep easily, my knees start to ache/hips hurt (I promise, I'm okay, it's just something I deal with everything, I'm lucky that these are my biggest problems :) ). So when we were getting close to our long (15 hour) flight, I was so worried about blood clots, swelling, etc. so I asked all of you on my instagram and a lot of nurses told me about these ones that I linked above. They said they are game changers and will make for a happy flight!

Travel Sized Hair Dryer- This hair dryer is sold exclusively at Anthropologie and I am so excited to finally share it with you all! While I was gifted this, I have to tell you, it is AMAZING! I never want to take a huge hair dryer while I travel, but I also don't want to use a cheap one that doesn't work on my thick hair and ends up frying it. Enter this amazing hair dryer. Trust me, you need this in your life.

L'Oreal Ever Pure- As you've heard me say MANY a times, I have dry skin. Winter doesn't help my cause, at all. Because of this, I have been on the hunt for a good hair mask & conditioner that will keep my hair from getting too dry while traveling and this one linked above is the only one that has worked for me!

Please let me know if you have any questions :) When we land, I will update you on how everything worked!